Monday, April 25, 2011

Screamer's Sleeping Bag


This is my 300th post.  Whoda thunk I'd write this much?

The Screamer's sleeping bag is complete.  Someday, when I am more proficient at zippers, I will make proper sleeping bags with zippers, but today is not that day.

When I made the Assistant's sleeping bag, I tried to make the bottom of it thick and cushy for sleeping on the floor.  Alas, that also created a binding nightmare.

This time, I didn't include any batting at all and used fleece for the inside.  The back (floor side) of the sleeping bag is a piece of fleece and a piece of purple fabric.  Instead of row quilting or anything else, I chose to meander quilt across the two pieces.  That gave me some free-motion quilting practice as well as creating a fun design for the Screamer to examine.

The top is constructed of 5.5" strips of house fabric and 3" strips of strip (both from the Around Town fabric lineup by Connecting Threads.  I could've used more accurate cutting from them - my 1/2 yard of strip straightened up to only 17.5".  I'm just sayin'.)  I joined them in a QAYG manner, sewing them to the fleece at the same time.



I only joined one long side completely, joining the other at about the halfway point so it's easier for the Screamer to get in and out.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Design Wall Monday

is empty.  I finished my three on-going projects at the end of last week.

I'm going to make a quick sleeping bag for the Screamer, so hopefully I can take pictures of the fabric for that later - but not for my design wall.  Who knows, maybe I'll have enough time to just finish it and have another project done for this week!  It will be solely a stashbusting project.

I need to start quilting my "Favorite Things" quilt (pattern a la Judy as Peaches and Dreams!)

Check out the other design walls at Judy's place.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Stash Report Week #17 (somewhere I lost count!)

A blessed Easter to you all!

Mid-week, I completed my UFO into a small (13"x36") table runner.  Now it's going into the gift box for Christmas!  I can see where the piecing is less than perfect, but I was working with pieces I had cut years ago, as well as pieces the Assistant had gnawed when she was a baby.  Distortion was bound to happen.
UFO #4 Complete!
 I think the Screamer would have preferred to stay here all week.  It was a hard week for her.
Hide-and-go-seek, anyone?
 My monochromatic challenge is also complete for April!  Surprise, surprise, it's another table runner.  This one definitely has a Halloween-y feel, so I'm not sure who I'll gift it to, but I'm having fun with these.
Orange Monochromatic Project

Quilting Detail (Chalk hasn't been washed off yet)

The back looks pretty snazzy by itself too!

I also finished the pink and green quilt in a flurry, hoping to deliver it on Holy Saturday before we dyed eggs as my sister's, and (gasp) I didn't take a picture of it!?!!

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 140 3/4 yards

OUT this week: 8 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 40 yards

YTD Total: 100 3/4 yards IN... I've almost broken the 100 yard mark!  Too bad there is nothing in the pipe line for the near future.

I hemmed a prom dress for my daughter's teacher's daughter.

Next up?  Until the new UFO and colors are chosen for May, I may try to whip up a sleeping bag for the Screamer.  After that, I need to work on the new bed quilt for Screamer.

Next weekend, without DH and the Assistant, I and the younger two kiddos are going to Omaha with my mom to be with my godfather's sisters.  My husband has insisted that I visit at least one quilt shop on the way.

Check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Easter Triduum

It's Holy Thursday, and that means DH will head to Mass at 7 p.m.  Our three should NOT be taken out in public at such an hour, so I will stay home with them.  I've presented materials on the cenacle 5 times in the last week, so I think I've had some good meditation time.

The UFO #4 is complete.  The orange table runner is quilted and the binding sewn on by machine.  Only the handwork is left.  The pink and green baby quilt is down to 5 squares of 49 to quilt.  Woohoo!

In other news, we were considering changing Screamer's nickname, as Bear Cub Q seemed in need of it.  Nope, after today and her tantrum, not a chance.  She pretty well sealed the deal.  (I might be a little deaf now.)

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Design Wall Monday

I am basting table runners in preparation for quilting!

Happy birthday, Assistant.

Check out some real design walls on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Stash Report Week #16

1 yard in this week for the Assistant's birthday gift.

7 yards out for the Easter clothes.  They're all done, but Bear Cub Q decided he needed to pick them all up when I laid them down for pictures.

109 IN for the year... at least I'm headed in the right direction again.

Two sewing baskets in, as I've decided that every year, I'm going to buy something nice for the girls for sewing or cooking (or other housewifely, do-it-yourself-edness... a tape measure, screwdriver, and hammer will go in the mix too).

The pink and green quilt now has three rows totally done, with the other four half done.  That means only two full rows (kinda...).

The orange and black table runner is a top...

The UFO is a top...

The Assistant turns 5 on Monday.

Check out some other stash reports on Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Grief

Is there anything constructive to be done with grief?  How long does a "normal" grieving process last?  At what point are you okay with life returning to "normal" (whatever that is?)?

I'm not trying to be melodramatic here.  In fact, I am a little bemused at my inability to get with the program and move on with life.  My godfather has been a distant part of my life for a long time - his age and frailty has made travel impossible on his side, and I have a family of small children.  But, somehow, even though I know how death works, I think a part of me just expected him to be around always.

I'm an adult.  I have lost people beloved to me before, but when I was younger.  My parents are both still alive.  So are my five siblings.  Two of my grandparents died before I was even a spark in my parents' eyes, and the other two are still living.  I love an important spiritual mentor as a sophomore in college, but I don't remember feeling quite the same... lethargy to life.

I take care of my kids - they are fed, watered, bathed, and loved.  The house?  Not so much.  I only washed the dishes today because my younger sister called, and I couldn't read while I was on the phone with her.  My husband probably could do with a little better home cookin' (in a less introspective mood, I may later tell you about the FAILED cheeseburger helper.  Yuck.  Not the fault of grief, though, just spoiled meat).  Things that must get done, get done.  But that UFO challenge?  I was into it, but I'm struggling.  My monochromatic quilt?  It'll get done.  You might think that my quilting is okay to put on the back burner, but it is something I need to help me gather my thoughts and process.  But it's not working right now.

I know this feeling will get better.  I just wish I knew if there was something I should (could?) do with it.  I don't like emotions.  I am a factual, blunt person about many things (just ask my husband.  He would like me to be a little more huggable at times).  My entire family doesn't do nuances of emotions (it might have something to do with Asperger's Syndrome.  Definitely.).

But I love my kids, I love my husband, and they love me, and God clearly has a plan, so I will be okay.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.


Monday, April 11, 2011

Hair Cuts

Who is that stranger?

Just a trim

Finally catching up to her personal hair cuts - only bangs left to grow out!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Design Wall Monday

How did this happen???
  Somebody is 1 and enjoying a bowl of rice.  Yes, he climbed on the table after I left and DH was clearing the table.
And here is my design wall... er, floor.  I've webbed it, and sewn two rows (which are longer than the rest).  There are 10 rows left.

Check out the other design walls at Judy's place.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Stash Report Week #15

Nothing in (despite many temptations), and nothing out YET.

I finished the Assistant's Easter dress, but I'm waiting until DH's vest and my skirt are done to count everything out.  The fabric is much thinner than I remembered, so she may need to wear a slip or undershirt.  Her birthday is in nine days.  My oldest will be five.  Wow.

I have worked on my UFO #4.  It still has a ways to go, but I am over 1/2 done sewing the pieces into rows.  You can see initial layout pictures here.  Of course, after I took these pictures, my daughters BOTH decided to rearrange by dumping significant portions of it onto the floor.  Life with kids, you know?

My orange table runner is cut and in the process of being pieced.

It's unreasonably hot for April - 90 degrees F as I type this.

The pink and green quilt has 26 of 49 blocks quilted.  I'm on the downhill side of the mountain now!

Please be so kind as to check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Design Wall Monday

Here’s my bucket!

And I finished this dress for the Screamer.

Bear Cub Q is a year old on Wednesday.  Wowza!
The pieces to my UFO #4 dilemma.  Does it work?


A few days will be spent traveling for the funeral, but other than that, I need to buckle down and whip out the Easter clothes.

Check out the other design walls at Judy's place.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Stash Report Week #14

Unfortunately, there were no finishes.  Not much quilting at all.

On Wednesday, on my way out the door to volunteering, my mom called to say my godfather lay on his deathbed.  It was absolutely a "God-thing" that she called, as she hadn't called his family since Christmas, he had just been sent home on hospice care on Monday, and the nurse and CNAs didn't expect him to survive the week.  Thursday, I dropped off the girls with a friend and made a mad, 12-hour round trip with my parents and Bear Cub Q to say goodbye.  I am so blessed to be given the opportunity to say goodbye.  Even though he couldn't respond, I could tell he was listening, and he tried to talk several times.  Bear Cub Q even startled him by screaming.  Friday, my godfather passed away, so he is no longer in pain or crippled.

Saturday, I woke up to a possible case of mastitis.  Yuck.  We also went out to the land, where DH diligently hoed and planted bushes.  I helped some, then tried to take it easy in the shade.

I also crocheted like crazy in the car to make more hats and flowers for my new etsy shop (check it out on the side!).  Here's one for my niece LEL!

Check out some fabulous stash reports on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Check it out!

I just opened an etsy shop in a quest to earn a little extra money from home.  Right now it's full of crocheted items, since they're quicker to make, but I hope to put in some table runners or child's aprons eventually.  First I need to sell something!

You can click on the pictures on the left to check it out.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Plugging Away

Somehow I spent most of this week thinking it was the last week in March.  I’m glad I have another week! I have plenty of purple still to se...